Nursing home residents taking a stand in Mt. Vernon

Nursing home residents in Mt.Vernon are fighting for better medical care in a campaign to draw attention to Medicaid cuts in Illinois.

One group has come up with a way to send a clear message to the governor about the problem.

The nursing home industry has been hit hard in the last few years because of cuts to Medicaid.

Residents are being denied medical services-and in some situations, those nursing homes are footing the medical bills.

To bring attention to the problem, the health care council of Illinois is making stops at nursing homes across the state collecting signatures to deliver to Governor Quinn.

Their first stop was in Mt. Vernon.

The goal is to be in Chicago Sunday with a list of signatures of those effected the most, names of staff and residents who have had to deal with limited care.

"We are expected to go ahead and provide that care even though it is something that Medicaid is not going to pay for we are expected to still provide that," said Tyger Downen, Mt. Vernon Countryside Manor.

"It is important for us to raise our voices with them and for them in Springfield," said Pat Comstock, Healthcare Council of Illinois.

The state projected it would save over a $1.5 billion, but with the cuts, the savings only totaled $464 million.

The council will stop in places like Quincy and Bloomington.

These efforts are ultimately to get legislators to support a bill that would rollback cuts to care like dental and vision.